With today being our “official” due date (no baby yet!), I thought it’d be neat to share an amazing resource for grandparents (and parents too).
Even though our new little one is not the first grandchild on either side of the family, the grandparents are quite excited just the same. In fact, our baby is my Grandma’s 24th great-grandchild. “The more the merrier,” she says! Grandparents have the best job in the world… limited diapers, permission to spoil, and at the end of the day they go home to a peaceful house with a full night of sleep on the schedule. Plus, they have the wisdom that only comes from raising children for decades, that allows them to delight in the little things that parents often miss amidst the frenzy. I have countless memories with my grandparents, as well as Jason’s grandma. What a gift it has been in my life!
In my opinion, one of the best sites on the web is Grandparents.com. They think “It’s great to be grand.” I think the site is helpful for parents as well. They recently shared with us a 24 page online “Ultimate Holiday Guide.” It’s super rich with solid content (and good design)!
One of my favorite tips from the guide comes from the list of “6 Ideas for When you Have No Idea What to Get.” (for holiday gifts)
#3- Give What You Have: You’ve always thought about what you’d like to pass down to your grandchildren. Maybe now is the time to start: If you have some special old baseball cards, comic books, or autographs, give a few to your grandsons. Or give your granddaughter some classic costume jewelry or fancy hats and gloves that she can use for dress-up. They’ll enjoy the gifts, and they’ll love hearing the stories of how you got them even more.
The reason this hits home is because when I was about eight-years-old my Grandma Rosie gave my sister and I scrapbooks that she had in her house of old greeting cards. I found the gift to be a treasured find. Somehow I had the perspective to understand that this was something I couldn’t duplicate or find in the aisles at Wal-Mart. I was fascinated by the stories she told me about the variety of cards. A few years ago when my parents were going through her home after she had passed away, there were countless “treasures” that were found, but few stories to go along with them because my Grandma wasn’t there to share them. It’s pretty cool to think of sharing the stories along with the treasures. Kids just naturally delight in the little things, especially if the “thing” connects them to someone they love. So, instead of throwing elbows in the toy aisle, avoid the chaos and take a walk in your attic or basement to find a gift that he/she will be sure to treasure.
The holiday guide also shares easy ways to let kids help in the kitchen with the Christmas cookies. There’s an article offering tips on how to stop competing with the “other” grandparents… a classic source of undue stress (and Adultitis). These are just a few of the awesome tips, so I hope you check it out.
Do you have any awesome grandparent memories?
I didn’t grow up with my grandparents around (they lived in India, while I was born in the U.S.). But, I’m glad my child gets to enjoy his grandparents. I enjoy watching my parents light up when they see my son and acting silly to get him to laugh and smile. It’s great hearing them swap tales of how I used to be as a kid and then comparing me as a child to how my child acts. The best is when they play little piggy with his toes and feed him ice cream. I can’t wait to be a grandparent one day!